a Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering , Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , Greece.
b School of Medicine , Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , Greece.
Int J Audiol. 2019 Aug;58(8):476-483. doi: 10.1080/14992027.2019.1600204. Epub 2019 Apr 15.
To develop and evaluate a software application capable of conducting Pure-Tone Audiometry tests in clinical practice. We designed and developed a mobile software application for iPad devices that performs Pure-Tone Audiometry according to ANSI and IEC standards. The application is proposed to be operated by a trained audiologist inside a sound booth. No extra equipment is required. Hence, it updates the procedure by showing the versatility of the proposed system. Particularly, it provides manual and automated measurement, including air- and bone-conduction audiometry. Twenty-nine participants-patients of Papageorgiou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece were tested, with all degrees of hearing sensitivity. Manual air- and bone-conduction Pure-Tone Audiometry was conducted inside a sound booth. Participants were tested with conventional audiometry and the audiometric application, in order to validate the tablet-based audiometer for measuring hearing thresholds. The majority (90.9%) of air-conduction estimated hearing thresholds and (90.8%) of air-bone gaps were within 5 dB, compared to results obtained by conventional audiometry. Thus, threshold differences were not significant. The proposed audiometer is a reliable and valid tool for hearing assessment. Owing to certain limitations, mobile devices can provide a feasible substitute for conventional audiometry in clinical practice.
开发和评估一款可在临床实践中进行纯音测听测试的软件应用程序。我们设计并开发了一款适用于 iPad 设备的移动软件应用程序，该应用程序根据 ANSI 和 IEC 标准进行纯音测听。该应用程序拟由经过培训的听力学家在隔音室内操作。无需额外的设备。因此，它通过展示所提出系统的多功能性来更新该程序。特别是，它提供手动和自动测量，包括空气传导和骨传导测听。在希腊塞萨洛尼基的 Papageorgiou 医院，对 29 名参与者（患者）进行了测试，他们的听力敏感度各不相同。在隔音室内进行手动空气和骨传导纯音测听。参与者接受了常规听力测试和听力应用程序的测试，以验证基于平板电脑的听力计用于测量听力阈值。与常规听力测试相比，大多数（90.9%）空气传导估计的听力阈值和（90.8%）气骨间隙都在 5dB 以内。因此，阈值差异不显著。所提出的听力计是一种可靠且有效的听力评估工具。由于某些限制，移动设备可为临床实践中的常规听力测试提供可行的替代方案。
